Cards and Eyes
by linkin-spike
Summary: rogue/remy. set mebbe cpl wks after day of reckoning. new chap!!!! woooohoooo ... ^.^ check it out !
1. Default Chapter

Black Black heart  
  
Why would you offer more  
  
Why would you make it easier on me,  
  
Satisfied.  
  
I'm on fire I'm rotting to the core  
  
I'm eating all your kings and queens  
  
All your sex and your diamonds.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rivers flowing down her windowpanes, the soothing noise mingling with the background music. Around her the heavy blanket of darkness covered her, shielding her from prying eyes, stifling her from midnight voices. All except one. A voice she heard again, repeating itself in her ears, echoing the chasms of her mind, drowning all the other countless voices; and eyes that burned coal and embers in the night haunting her for all eternity. The first time they met was on the battlefield, yet even then she could feel him. Her mind, her body torn in two as her skin crawled in repulsion and her heart raced in anticipation. He didn't speak then. He hadn't shown her his devils curse, but had shown her his Lucifer-like charm. A smirk of the lips, a twist of his fingers, to reveal an object. Ace of spades. The card of death.  
  
Then they saved her. Her teammates, her friends, her family. What she couldn't understand at that moment when they entered to rescue her was why she had felt more of an affinity with the stranger she met than she did with any of them. She was still technically an outcast of all sorts to them, from how she looked to her power, that made her more of a freak that any of them, including her brother. Yet when she saw him she had felt a small, yet significant connection, as if however different they were or could be, below everything their cores were identical. Returning to reality caused her to fall yet again into a realm of fantasy. When she returned to her home, to her room, a small present was found on her pillow. King of diamonds. The card of power.  
  
Shaken she had stayed at home a first, forever feeling his gaze upon her, yet when she looked he was never there. Finally after what seemed like a decade of waiting for something that was unknown even to her, she overcame her fear. She went out that night to one of her favourite clubs, dressed in a belly-baring black top, her arms covered in sheer netting, low-slung hipsters covering her lower body, her outfit topped off with a pair of black boots and matching leather gloves. She danced alone the beat slowly enveloping her, lifting her worries away, until she was suddenly aware of a figure in front of her. Lifting her eyes in a mixture of apprehension and desire she saw him. She knew it was him, he was the only one who made her feel like this, like she was floating to the stars, and falling to the fires all at once; yet his eyes were ruby red on onyx, a complete antithesis to the dark brown she had expected, yet they seemed to fit him better than anything. For a while they danced wordlessly at the pounding music, him always moving closer, her forever eluding his advances, their movements akin to that of predator and prey. His chin-length hair fell in auburn bangs, his ever-smirking lips turning up as his eyes scorched holes inside her.  
  
As the music slowed down she was caught unaware as two arms wrapped around her. The beginning of "Black Black Heart" played as they swayed together, her head resting on his shoulder as she abandoned any sense, swept away by ecstasy of his embrace. Soothing whispers of the singer calmed her, the unfamiliar feel of a body in her arms thrilling her as visions blurred and fell leaving only him, holding her comfortingly. She felt like she could drown in the blissful rapture he held over her. Yet like everything, it had to end some time.  
  
As the last strains of the song played he pulled away from her slowly as she looked up at him in a daze, drunk from emotion. He gave her a smile and spoke five simple words that shook her. "Y' are so beautiful chere." As basic and unadorned those words seemed they spoke volumes to her. No one had ever called her beautiful. In her past, what she recalled of it, she had been called cute, sweet, even plain at times despite her white streak. To hear it whispered in her ear, by a striking male added to the pure exhilaration she felt. The smooth lilting voice was one that charmed her to no end, capturing her. He kissed her lightly, just above her forehead, before slipping a rose, that had seemed to materialize from nowhere, into her fingers; a final mark, making her completely his. With that he disappeared into the crowd, as swiftly and inexplicably as he had appeared, leaving her, a solitary figure clutching a rose, an utter epitome of loneliness. Her eyes filled with tears that came uncalled for, tears of frustration and anger, to have felt a taste of heaven and only to be denied. She knew, even if he ever came back she would be unable to give him anything, other than complete and undying love which was something she knew no sane man would be able to live on solely. She blinked her eyes furiously as she left the club, tears streaming down her cheeks, unaware of the pair of eyes that watched her closely in the darkness, oblivious of the hand that almost reached up to stop her as she ran out, that yearned to hug her, comfort her. As she closed in on the mansion she gave a howl of anguish, releasing her pain for one last time. It was only once she was back in, safe in her room, before she looked again to the flower. Her eye caught a small piece of paper attached to it.  
  
Lifting it up in curiosity she realized it was a miniature playing card. Queen of hearts. The card of love.  
  
*******  
  
She looked again now at the two cards in her hand. Maybe she would find courage again to leave herself defenseless, baring her heart, her feelings, to his mercy; but for now she would continue being haunted by him. Tearing herself away from the window she settled back into her bed, the flower set in a vase on her bedside table, two cards next to it. She soon fell asleep, drifting into the land of dreams, which oddly enough mirrored what was going on, as twin fires watched over her sleeping form. Blood-red diamonds shining in the dark.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N:- hehehe ^_^ song belongs to david usher, I don't really think the whole song would fit but the chorus just reminded me of remy (dunno, it just does,) just one=off fic cuz im still tryin 2 write a good chap 4 thief (my 2 other stories are on temporary hold until I figure out what the hell 2 write- damn writers block..grrr=). Hmm … sooo review! If its bad tell me how 2 improve, if its good have some sour skittles ^_^ o yeah, this is 4 Brakish, Samman, Phoenix angel suyari, Jean1, Skye n well all rogue/remy fans!! Cyz! Luv linkin~ 


	2. love and normality

You can look but you can't touch  
  
I don't think I like you much  
  
Heaven knows what a girl can do  
  
Heaven knows what you've got to prove  
  
I think I'm paranoid  
  
And complicated  
  
I think I'm paranoid  
  
Manipulated..  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Love and Normality  
  
~Feared~  
  
A Monster  
  
~Shunned~  
  
A Mutant  
  
~Unloved~  
  
A Mistake  
  
All she was and all she ever would be. A pathetic unlovable mistake. A blip in the gene factory. The butt-joke of all Mother Nature's creations. She knew her power was feared by many, even when those close to her tried to hide it she could see in their eyes. It even came from the fearsome Wolverine. Every time she passed she always caught that slight change in his body posture, the slight stiffening of the body; the movement so small it was almost unnoticeable, except to her as she always looked for it. Despite the inner pain that flooded her whenever she saw it she always looked for the tell-tale signs. Some were more indiscreet like Wolverine's, some more obvious, like the deer-in-headlights look Kitty sometimes gave her. If anyone asked her why she did look out for these signs the answer would be simple. This odd form of self-mental-pain gave her strength, oddly enough. Strength to try that much harder, to push the little bit further, to reach her final goal. To do what she longed for ever since the cursed gene awoke. To finally be able control what controlled her. Yet this odd habit of hers sometimes went the opposite direction, making her curse her life and her powers rather then fire her hope for control. This happened when she noticed how 'normally' people treat her when they didn't know her true power; which then made her fear and dread the time when they would find out. It was happening now in the worst way.  
  
That time on the battlefield when their eyes had caught, a spark had seemed to flow through them, yet that was nothing compared to that time in the club. His eyes burned through her as his touch set her skin aflame with want and need. When he had left her all she had felt was a gaping hole in her that wasn't there before. and which she knew, would never go away. When he held her it wasn't stiff; she wasn't kept at a distance as she always was. In fact it was the opposite, he seemed to clutch her to him as closely as he could, making her feel wanted, like she had a worth in this world that had always spurned her. She had fallen hard and fast for him. And it scared her. Scared her more than anything ever had. The fact she could feel those two things long denied to her, love and normality. and the point that caused her pain, the fact she knew she could easily lose them if he ever found out what she was. not just an outcast to humanity, but an outcast to mutants as well. At times she did have to wonder what on earth drew him to her? She thought she had kept her looks hidden well under layers of make-up, just as she had done to her true emotions and feelings that were hidden under aggression and hostility. She never saw herself as pretty. Monsters were creatures to be feared, not to be admired. That was why the memory of his statement brought her to hollow laughter. and hidden bitter tears, caused by the fact that his statements were more absurd than true. She was not worthy of his admiration, let alone affection.  
  
Demons and angels cannot mix.  
  
Her power, her bane, her curse, made her less than human. His looks, his charm, and the affection he lavished upon her, from simple words to the even simpler, purer sense of touch; made him sit higher in her mind than anyone she had ever met, from her beneficiary Xavier, to her first true crush, Scott. Nothing came close to him. The amazing feeling that coursed through her veins simple being near him made him something new, a discovery that only SHE had made, that she didn't want anyone to see or have. With a heavy heart she knew she had to leave him though, that if she ever saw him again she would have to raise her shields higher than ever, since she knew that if she let him close she would never want to let him go. She would never be satisfied by part of him, the fact that she wouldn't be able to touch him would haunt her forever, or rather, the never-ending fear that if he was to find out about her he wouldn't be able to live a life with her that consisted of an absence of what she saw to be the most valued sense of all. Without it he might do something that would destroy her completely. He would spurn her.  
  
Just as long as it was her who ignored him she was fine. Her heart might crack, but it would not break so bitterly as it would if she knew it was him who left her. It was a pain that she knew well, it was why she never let anyone close since she knew that if she let someone in, it would just hurt more when they betrayed her. And she knew he would. After all everyone that she did let in had. It was her mantra, her automatic defence system. As long as no one got too close, then she would not get hurt; or even worse, hurt them. And as the fates were in a real vindictive mood towards the world the day she was born, her powers ensured that anyone she loved would get hurt by her. A careless slip of her hand could knock them unconscious, or even worse, cost them their life.  
  
She had decided.  
  
She frowned bitterly as she picked up the cards he had given her, with a simple sweep she slid open the window and threw them into the catching wind. The cold blast of night air stung her face bringing tears to her eyes. or had they already been there? She wiped them furiously. This wouldn't do. She shoved her emotions back down into the inner vault of her mind, almost frantically. Closing her eyes, she counted slowly to ten, then re-opened them. She looked down to the vast landscape and sighed as her body gave a small shudder, trying to shake off any lingering trace of regret in vain. She gave a start of surprise as a small twinkle of twin fires shone in the dark grounds shadowed by the veil of night.  
  
Yet even as she watched they were gone in a flash, as if there had never been any trace of them. The sight shocked through her unlocking her mind, allowing a torrential wave of feelings to overcomes her. Just for a moment she allowed herself to drown in them. She told herself, reassured herself that come tomorrow these thoughts would be suppressed back as always, but just for now she wanted to allow herself to float on these waves. All her defences were shut down as; what she had always viewed as naivety, bliss flooded through her. For that one moment she felt that she didn't care if she was a battered broken shell after this, just as long as she could have one more moment with him she would be complete. She fell asleep as dreams enveloped her mind. Dreams of him. and dreams of hope.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bend me break me  
  
Anyway you need me  
  
All I want is you  
  
Bend me break me  
  
Breaking down is easy  
  
All I want is you.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AN: how dya like that? Two chaps in one week. (pfft yeah theyre not of the same story, but hey it still two chaps!) this was originally supossed 2 be a one off fic but the idea came to me and I ended up churnin this baby instead ^.^ ive decided this is gonna be a short fic tho, only 4 or 5 chaps max. Good news: im definitely gonna finish this fic cuz ideas are fresh in my head, n it bein hols I got time to type them out! Bad news: heh, about thief n image. god help me, im still stuck in over my head with those two. Im starting to get some idea where thief'll be headed (thanx 2 its now decided sequel stroke of luck) but as for image. hmm. fans of that might have to wait a leeetle bit longer while I try to think up a suitable direction for it to go. profuse apologies!! Well keep them reviews comin ppl! ^.^ I need to know what I gotta do to get better!! Cyz! ~linkin (lyrics from garbage) 


	3. touch

TOUCH  
  
**********  
  
Speech...A mute's whim.  
  
Sound...A deaf's fantasy.  
  
Sight...A blind's dream.  
  
Touch...  
  
The simple feel of comforting hands. The pure warmth of uncovered skin. The soft brush of a lover's lips. Denied.  
  
In the world of humans she was a genetic failure. Unnatural. Monsterous. Alone.  
  
In the world of mutants she was a total outcast. Deadly. Cursed. Alone.  
  
Her power was one of the greatest. To take your deepest memories. To snatch your power. To steal your life.  
  
With  
  
One  
  
Touch.  
  
An appearance that rebelled against her power. Entrancing emerald eyes. Long auburn waves that cascaded down her back, oddly even more striking with the twin white streaks that made her stand out in a sea of females. Soft milk skin, waiting to be touched. Plump reddened lips, begging to be kissed. Dangerous curves that turned heads everywhere she went. only to be ignored once they met her harsh, knife-like personality, or even worse, once they found out. Once they knew who, or rather what she was.  
  
Feared by many, outcast to all. She was a complete opposite to all the women he had ever had or been attracted to. Maybe that was one of the reasons he couldn't get her out of his mind. Or maybe it was the simple fact that she could never wholly be his. The fact that just being with her was like dancing with death itself. A gamble that could cost his very life if it went out of hand. but then again, as his nick-name showed, he was never one to refuse to take a chance, however dangerous the consequences. Yet for once he was questioning himself on that. Was this too deep even for him? For once, what he was risking was his property, more precious to him than anything could be. Something that had been broken before and had been re-forged to make him harder.  
  
She was meant to be his conquest, just a game as all the others had been. Well all the others except for that bitch. ~*Belladonna*~ His brow furrowed as his fine features twisted in disgust at the memory of her. Her name mirrored her nature. The poisonous night-shade that stung him deep with treachery and betrayal. Her love of him was a façade, that fell apart once he found out her in another mans arms. He knew then that the only thing that mattered to her was her guild, her power that she would have obtained had the two of them married, power over both assasins and thieves. He couldn't believe he was willing to place his family under the rule of such a cold calculating person. What was more unbelievable was that he himself had fallen into her charms.  
  
They had been friends once. a long time ago, before greed had ever cast a shadow over their lives. Then as they grew up he had started to fall for her slowly, from afar ofcourse - as they both met other people - since he was afraid of losing their friendship. Once that he had found out that they were to be bethrothed he had had no qualms about it, finding it as an excuse to show her his true feelings. She had seemed to respond to it in kind though. until after the wedding. It had felt as if someone had dropped a brick wall between the two of them. Her previously warm demeoner had cooled down excessively, her attitude to him constantly changing abrubtly, usually for the worse. Yet even throughout this he had kept on at the relationship, bending over backwards to give her her way rather than break it off. Then he had found her. And him. Together. It was simple to say that it was the last straw. Or perhaps to beaccurate maybe it wasn't completely. No, the final straw would have to have been what she had said after. Her face had remained impassive, not a trace of regret or sorrow on her face, it seemed that for the first time Remy had seen her for what she was. As he had stormed out in silence she had called after him in a mocking voice;  
  
"Chirst, stop with the pathetic mood Rems. You didn't really think that our marriage was anything more than a peace treaty for the guilds did you. I mean we're 17, as if love could exist in out lives! And anyway, its not like you didn't look around, after all it would be *so* you."  
  
It would forever remain a mystery when this transformation from a lively girl to a unfeeling woman had taken place. Maybe it was recent, but as painful as it was to admit, he had a nagging feeling it had been going on for a long time now, and it had simply been that he had been too blinded by love to notice. After hearing those words he had felt as if his whole body had turned to glass and just shattered. He didn't even bother correcting her, telling her that to him this marriage had mattered, and that, he of all people, Remy the player, the charmer, 'le Diable Blanc', had not strayed, and even worse, had been fool enough to believe in love.  
  
******************************************  
  
'Love seeketh only self to please,  
  
To bind another to it's delight,  
  
Joys in anothers loss of ease,  
  
And builds a hell in heaven's despite.'  
  
*******************************************  
  
She was meant to be a conquest, but now he was scared she was becoming much more than that. How could something so deadly entrance him so? And why on earth could he not get her out of his mind? Twice. They had only met twice. Yet there was some strange feeling that nagged the back of his mind, telling him it had been much longer that that. For some reason that thought made him recall a recent phone call to his home. He had wanted to tell his father and brother that he was well, but instead Mercy, his sister-in-law, had picked up and as he waited for his father to finish a meeting that he was in, she had kept going on about some movie she had seen, recounting her favourite scenes to Remy's amusement, or rather, his horror once he found out it was a romance flick. One phrase stood out in his mind from her vague ramblings;  
  
". et les hommes dans la photo dirent « Elle amoureuse. » Et il réplique « Je ne connais même pas. » Puis les hommes dirent « Bien sur toi as connaissent ! » Et quand-il demande les hommes « Depuis quand ? » Quel-ils répliquent c'est très adorable ! « Depuis toujours- » Et ma favorite moment, une d'entre eux dit, « -Dans te rêve. » C'est parfait, non ? Ah, je désir ton stupide frère aux dits quelque chose de même a moi !  
  
{"...and the men in the photo said "She's in love. "  
  
And he replies, " I don't even know her. "  
  
Then the men said "Ofcourse you do ! "  
  
And when he asks the men, "Since when?"  
  
What they say back is sooo adorable; "Since forever...",  
  
and my favourite moment; one of them adds, "....in your dreams".  
  
Its perfect isnt it? Ah, i wish your stupid brother would say something like that to me!"}  
  
Between Mercy's lengthy side comments he couldn't help but wonder whether the same thing could be explicable to his current state. After all he was a dreamer not unlike the guy in the film... but instead of collecting footprints and photos, he collected, to put it simply, women. Yet the women he usually 'collected' were usually the same type, beautiful, sensual and extremely pleasing in bed. But she was different. He would be the first to admit that it was never beauty that reigned him in. Sure she was stunning, but ofcoarse this could only probably be found under ten pounds of make-up and a further ten thousand layers of attitude. He was lucky to have 'mistakenly' run into Pietro's room and 'accidently' rifled through the speed demon's privy of junk; his sharp eyes catching an old brotherhood picture of her, caught by Pietro just as she came out of the bathroom after a shower. To put it simply, the only thing that Remy - probably the greatest connoisseur of women, in the world - could find to complain about the picture was that there was still a towel wrapped around her. The second time he had seen her without her mask was when he had broken into the mansion where she stayed and watched her as she slept. She had looked so peaceful, her chest rising softly, a soft curl framing her face, which was haloed softly by a stream of moonlight. A picture of innocence and of purity. An angel. At that moment he had just wanted to stay there forever, wanted to be near her, to worship and adore her forever. But the same thought had nagged his mind then as i did now.  
  
Demons and angels cannot mix.  
  
And he was the perfect picture of a demon. Even got the eyes to complete his stained soul, and his devilish good looks. He sighed and shook his head in frustration. Even if she did feel something more than lust towards him, was it fair on him to try and make anything out of whatever lay between them? Would she know exactly what she would be falling for? He didn't think he could take anymore of this unrequited love business. He was used at women falling to his feet, baring their hearts to him, never the other way around...  
  
The sound of a window latch snapping open broke through his thoughts. And suddenly there she was. A breath caught into his throat. If it was possible she seemed to be even more beautiful than he remembered, hair streaming in the wind, face make-up free, illuminated by the moon. She tossed out some pieces of paper that fluttered down slowly to the ground. Remy made a point of where they had fallen then looked up again. Then he noticed. The soft stream of tears that fell slowly down her pale cheek. He wanted more than anything to wipe them away, to hold her and comfort her; then she did the job for him, much more roughly than he woud have he thought wryly. Her eyes closed as she took several deep breaths, then reopened to see... him. He met her warm emerald eyes with his own burning red for a split second, and then leapt away out of her sight, his heart pounding. He waited until he heard the snap of the window closing, then he swiftly made his way across the lawn, unseen, walking in shadows. His hands closed on the papers she had flung out, and realised what they were. Cards. His cards. He sighed as he recalled her tears.  
  
He had decided.  
  
It was obvious that he had hurt her. Even more obvious that had she harboured any feeling for him before, they were probably floating away with the wind, half-way across the world by now. He would still have to apologise though. As much of a heart-breaker as he was, he did pride himself on being a gentlemen about it. The women he usually played around with were either those who deserved it or those who were exactly like him, simply looking for a quickie. Guilt was not an emotion Remy liked much, or rather, not one he liked at all. And watching her cry had caused a pang of guilt to spear through him. He sighed again as he sped off into the night, his thoughts resolved. Yes he would apologise. Then he would have to get her out of his head. As the memory of the deep pools of her eyes meeting his emerged, he groaned. This would definitely be a challenge, that for once, he would not be looking forward too. So instead he let his mind travel back to that night. When they were dancing. When she was in his arms, warm and wanting. When he thought he still saw something in those eyes. Something that could be called.... love.  
  
*******************************************  
  
'Love seeketh not itself to please,  
  
Nor for itself hath any care,  
  
But for another gives it ease,  
  
And builds a heaven in hells despair.'  
  
********************************************  
  
AN:- HAPPY NEW YEARRR!!!!!! *grins madly* sour skittles for everyone!!! (special invisible chocolate chip cookies in the post for all reviewees!!) eckk.hope this chap isn't too bad, im writing this at 2 in the morning ^_^ *yawn* ~ This chap is for:- vagabond, evolutionary spider, ishadahalf, race baj, starlightz6, j.dax, catnip, sujakata, lyrit liltrick and ginger, thanx for reviewin! [Err catnip, soz mate, but this fic is basically pretty plotless unless u think that a little plotless rogue-remy fic has some sorta plot. heh, I actually encorporated song lyrics to the first two chaps but when u sed poetry I thought hell why not? Thus the little excerpts from William Blake's 'The clod and the pebble' .] btw, the french movie mentioned above was none other than 'Amelie'. well big smooches to all readers!! Pls review! I kno I still need to improve but reviews would help the improvement process! Again, hope u have a great new year! Luv linkin~  
  
(ps BIG APOLOGY for the French. I know its probably all wrong but I am not French. The French above is the French of a 14 yr old non-french person. Its not perfect. I know. Massive apologies again!! Toodles!) 


End file.
